Raising Mustangs
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: An accident causes Roy to get more involved with his family than he had planned.
1. Bad News

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU and has already been posted in An Apple a Day.

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**Bad News**

She knew something was up when she walked into the colonel's office to find him clutching the phone to his ear, frantically taking notes. He waved her into the room and motioned for her to shut the door. Setting the papers on his desk, she watched him carefully. This wasn't a "someone is dying" emergancy, but it was close. Unsure if she should remain, she turned towards the door only to have Mustang snag her elbow.

He continued to to keep a hold of her as he hung op the phone. She wasn't sure how to react to this.

"Sir?" That was always a safe word.

He pulled her into the circle of his arms and rested his chin on her head. "That was my half-brother's lawyer. Adolf and his wife are dead. Evie is supposed to take their children, but she, Rick, and Aimee are in Xing for another six months, so I get them."

She relaxed in his arms a little. No wonder he was tense. "How many children?"

"Three. Kurt's twelve. Wilhemina's eleven, and Roisin is five."

She mentally rearranged his apartment. They should all fit if the girls were willing to share a room. They'd have to pack up at least part of his study, but that was managable. They'd need to get furniture for the children unless they were bringing their own things. The colonel's schedule would have to be rearranged for the first month or so, and she would have to make sure the Colonel got his work done on time from now on so he could leave on time.

"Hawkeye?"

She realized that she hadn't responded in anyway. She gently pushed out of his arms. "When will they arrive, sir?"

"Next week."

She nodded. "Then you'd best finish up your paperwork for today, so we can start making preperations tonight."

He looked incredibly grateful. "We?"

She sighed. "Yes, we. Knowing you, nothing would get accomplished before they arrive."

He squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you, lieutenant."

They managed to get out of the office by six-thirty. She insisted they stop for groceries as knowing the Colonel as she did, the fare in his apartment would not be very edible. Roy could cook, in fact he'd taught her much she knew about the subject, but he rarely got around to cooking for himself.

She was not disappointed by the state of the apartment. It wasn't a pigstye, but it was cluttered in the manner of someone who comes home and drops everything and never bother's to deal with it. The clutter wasn't a health hazard, but if he was going to have someone else living here, especially children, there would need to be some changes.

Roy took the groceries from her. "Have a seat. I'll throw something together for dinner."

By the time he had returned with a pair of roast beef sandwiches, she had all of the various papers that cluttered the room sorted into neat piles. He smiled at that. She never had been able to stand a mess.

"What's our next move?"

She looked at him. "Am I supposed to have some store of knowledge about children that I don't know about?"

He had the grace to look sheepish. "You always were better with practicle things than I was. I have no idea how to start."

Hawkeye smiled. "We can started with cleaning this place. Then we'll have a better idea of what needs to be moved or stored and what items you'll need. Do you know if they'll be bringing anything other than personal items?"

"I don't think so."

"Well then, they'll need beds, somewhere to put their clothes, a place to study for the older two, and perhaps a bookcase." She pursed her lips. "We also need to make sure that anything the children shouldn't get their hands on is safely tucked away."

"Like what?"

Riza looked at him incredulously. "Roy, you can't leave things like alchol or alchemy research out where children can get their hands on it. Can you imagine what a drunk child with an alchemy array could do?"

Roy paled. "I see what you mean."

"Good. You can start with your study. When I'm done in here, we can start on your guest room. Once we have this place cleaned, we can see what will need to be moved.

They didn't get completely finished that evening. She left at elevnish after promising to come back the next day to continue their work. She made a mental note to check in with Gracia Hughes tomorrow. Maybe she had some ideas that could help. Riza wasn't sure how Roy was going to manage handling three children fulltime. Oh, he did well enough with Elysia, but the longest he had taken care of her for was overnight. Dealing with three children as sole guardian for the next six months was another story.

She arrived at work early the next day. Given the amount of work they typically had to get through, she thought it best to get a head start. After all, the colonel didn't have a lot of time to get ready, escpecially given his tendancy to procrastinate. They didn't quite manage to be done by six-thirty that evening, but they were out of the office by seven-thirty. Thankfully, there wasn't that much left before the apartment was clean. That just left them to figure out what needed to be packed up and put in storage before they went shopping for furniture.

Roy was rather put out when she declared that most of the study would need packed up and put in storage.

"But I need those books."

"You can do without them for six months, or you can move them to the office."

"I can't keep them in the office. It's not safe."

Ah, that type of books. The ones her father had used. "In that case, you can keep them at my place."

By the time she left that evening, they had gotten about half the books packed up. That just left them with moving and buying furniture once the rest of books were packed up. Once the physical arrangements were made for the children, they could start dealing the issues such as school and the colonel's schedule. The older two would be in school full time of course, but she didn't know if the youngest was in school yet. She would be about Elysia age if Riza remembered correctly. She shied away from that thought; Hughes had not gotten to see Elysia start kindergarten this year.

The next evening found them figuring out the logistics of where to put the three children.

"We should put the girls in the guest room since it's the larger of the two rooms you have available," she told Mustang over dinner. Once again he had offered to cook since she was helping him out. "That means we'll need to find another bed for the room though. You said the youngest was five?"

"Roisin. Yeah, she just started kintergarten this year. I think she's a couple months older than Elsysia."

"So we won't need a full sized bed for her. That reminds me, do you have plans for what schools the children will attend?"

He shook his head. "I know they attended private schools in Southern City. Maybe they have something similar here?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't know. You should ask Gracia. She did a lot of research before sending Elysia off this year."

Roy's shoulders slumped. "I'm never going to manage this. I have no idea what I'm doing."

Riza sighed and came to sit beside him. She understood his worry. They really didn't need further complications in their lives right now. It was hard enough working to overthrow the government without adding parenting to the bill.

"We'll manage. We always do."

He rested his head on her shoulder. "I hope you're right."

She smiled at him. "When have I been wrong?"

"Never, that I know of at least."

"Then stop worrying and help me figure out if we need to move this bookcase into the girls' room or if we can fit a desk in here without doing that."

By the Saturday of the three children's arrival, the rooms were set up and ready for their occupants. Mustang had found that the school Kurt attended had a branch in Central, and it had been easy enough to arrange a transfer. The girls' school had not had a branch in Central though, and so Roy had enrolled them at the same school as Elysia. Hawkeye had gone through his schedule to make sure he could have the next few days after their arrival free from work. She had also made herself available if he need her for something.

Mustang was grateful for her quiet presence beside him on the platform. As they waited for the train to arrive, he had to keep from figiting. The three children were making him more nervous that his recertification exam ever did. As the the train pulled in, he nervously straightened his jacket. Of the two of them, only Hawkeye was in uniform; she had thought he would be more intimidating in his.

Riza was busy scanning the crowd. "I think that's them, sir."

A conductor was herding three children towards them. Two had pale blond hair, but the younger girl, clinging to her sister's hand, was most definately strawberry blond. The boy looked surly, and the elder of the two girls was wary. The younger was just plain scared.

"Are you Roy Mustang?"

He smiled reasurringly. "Yes, that's me."

"These three are for you then. The porters will bring their luggage shortly."

"Thank you." He turned to his new charges. "Did you have a good trip?"

Hakewye's hand brushed his shoulder. "I'll bring the car around front and deal the porters, sir."

He didn't want her to leave him alone with them, but then he really had no choice. Finally, the youngest spoke. "Are you really our Uncle Roy?"

He smiled at Roisin, kneeling down so he could look her in the eye; she reminded him of Elysia. "Yes, I'm really your Uncle Roy. Are you ready to go?"

To his surprise, Roisin let go of her sister's hand and held her arms up to carried. He scooped her up then turned back to her siblings. "Shall we go?"

The older two followed him through the station without a word. He was a little bewildered by their silence. Hawkeye had their luggage already loaded into the trunk and was waiting for them. It was easy enough to get everyone in the car and ready to go. The only awkward moment came when Kurt rather scornfully asked, "She's driving?"

He had forgotten how conservative Adolf had been, and his wife, Roy had only met her once at and that was at the wedding, had been the perfect little china doll. Thankfully, Hawkeye dealt with the question with perfect alomb.

"Any officer that is a colonel or higher is required to have a driver. It keeps down the amount of wear and tear on military vechiles."

Roy bit back a grin. That was the polite version. The real reason had more to do with the amount of drunken accidents it cut down on. He also realized he had failed to introduce Hawkeye.

"This is Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, by the way. She's my aide and bodyguard. You'll probably being seeing her around quite a bit. Hawkeye, my nephew, Kurt, and my nieces, Wilhemina and Roisin."

Hawkeye smiled. "I'm pleased to me you all."

She got a tenative smile from Roisin. The rest of the trip was silent. Mustang wrote it off to exhaustion and new surroundings. He'd have a better chance to get to know his nephew and nieces onced they'd settled in. He knew next to nothing about his nieces and nephew. His brother had informed him about their birth, but that was about it. He had sent cards and birthday gifts for years, but he had never gotten more than the obligatory thank you note back.

He led the way into the apartment, carrying Roisin. Hawkeye had insisted on dealing with the luggage. Roy would have prefered to have her beside him, but she seemed to be trying to give him the opertunity to bond with his new charges.

"Kurt, this your room, and Wilhemina and Roisin are at the end of the hall. My room is just across the hall from you."

Hawkeye appeared with the suitcases. It was clear that neither Kurt nor Wilhemina needed or wanted any help with unpacking, so he took Roisin with him to the kitchen to help Riza with dinner. Roisin was perfectly content to help him with the salad while Riza made the rest of the meal. Once that was done, she turned to him. "I think you're set for the night, sir. I'll see you Monday afternoon to let you know how things are going in the office."

"I'll walk you to the car, Lieutenant. Roisin, can you go tell your brother and sister to wash their hands for dinner?"

"Yes, Uncle Roy."

He saw her out to the street. "Are you sure you won't stay?"

"You need a chance to get to know the children. You're intimidating enough on your own. They don't need another stranger in addition to that." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "You'll do fine, sir. I'll see you the day after tomorrow."

He watched her head off then went back inside. Dinner was a fairly quiet affair, though Wilhemina loosened up some, and he learned that she liked to be called Mina and played piano. Kurt continued to be sullen and answered all questions in monosylllbes. Afterwards, everyone seemed to go off to their own devices. Everyone except Roisin. She brought Roy a picture book, climbed into his lap, and asked him to read. This at least was familiar. Elysia often did the exact same thing.

When they were done with the story, Roisin was yawning, so Roy sent her off to get changed for bed and to brush her teeth. He tucked her into bed then turned to Mina. "Is there anything you need?"

"No, Uncle Roy. I'm fine."

"Goodnight then."

"Goodnight."

"Night, Uncle Roy."

On his way to his own bed, he checked on Kurt. The lights in his room were out, and Roy assumed the boy was asleep. And he was oddly thankful that the study didn't have a lock on it. Of the three children, he had a feeling that Kurt would be the most trouble. He almost would have prefered the boy to be a bit more like Fullmetal. At least then he would know when something was wrong. There wasn't anything he could do about it right now though. Maybe Kurt would warm to things after a few days. It could be that he was just feeling out of his depth. Anyway, about the only thing he could do right now was go to bed.

Sometime later that night his sleep was distrubed by his door opening. He reached under his pillow for his gloves when a small voice said, "Uncle Roy? I can't sleep."

"Roisin?" He blinked, making out the small figure in the doorway. He tucked the gloves back into place.

"Can I sleep with you?"

"Sure." He was too tired to really care.

Moments later a small warm body was curled up beside him. Roy shut his eyes, and it wasn't long before he was dreaming about little girls with raven hair instead of blond and amber eyes instead of blue.

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Theme: Family


	2. Getting to Know You

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

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**Getting to Know You**

Roy wasn't used to waking up with a girl in his bed; most of the time he was in her bed. And even then, most of the girls he woke up with weren't clutching teddy bears. Roisin simply pulled the covers back over her head. With a sigh, Roy climbed out of bed. He should probably start breakfast. He had no idea when the others would be up, but he might as well be ready for them.

Honestly, Roy had no idea of what to expect today. He knew next to nothing about these children, and they definitely had a few things to discuss. He had no idea what they had brought with them, for instance, and what he might need to purchase for them. Nor did he know what sort of things they did for fun. Well, he knew that Mina played piano. Should he arrange lessons for her? He didn't have a piano, but Gracia did.

"Uncle Roy?" Mina stood in the kitchen doorway. "What are you doing?"

Roy looked down to find her was about halfway through making waffle batter. "Making waffles. Would you rather have fruit or syrup on yours?"

"Syrup please."

She seemed to sort of hover in the doorway, not sure what to do. Roy smiled at her, wishing once again Riza had stuck around. "Grab a chair and talk to me while I cook. I could use some company."

Mina came and perched on one of kitchen chairs, still looking a little uncertain.

"Do you have any other hobbies besides piano? Or is that not really a hobby and just something you did?"

She blinked. "I guess it's a hobby. I never really thought about it. I've been playing since I was four. I mean, I really like it. Music was always my favorite class in school. Well, I mean, besides math and science…"

Her voice trailed off there, and the girl's entire posture suddenly became nervous. Roy bit his lip; brother's prejudices had clearly affected Mina's ideas of what she was supposed to like. "Science was one of my favorites too. Math, not so much, but then I was always lousy at it. Hawkeye, the lady who came to the station with me, was always better at it than me. Oddly enough she never liked that much though. Her favorite subjects were always music and literature."

Mina relaxed a little. "Oh. You went to school with her?"

Roy nodded as he set up the waffle iron. "Sort of. Her father was my teacher. She took most of her lessons at the village school, but her father gave her extra lessons at home."

"Oh. Well, I like playing the piano. I'd like to keep taking lessons." She faltered, "I mean, if it's okay with you. If it's not, that's okay too, but--"

"Wilhelmina." He stopped cooking to come crouch in front of her. "Taking piano lessons is fine. I just want to make sure you have everything you need while you stay with me. You don't ever need to be afraid of telling me what you want or need, okay?"

She nodded. Roy smiled. "So, what sort of things do you need for school? The school gave me a list, but I don't know how much of that you have."

He turned back to the stove to make sure he didn't burn the waffles.

"I have most of my school stuff. I don't have any textbooks though."

"The school will provide you with those. We do need to get both you and Roisin school uniforms."

"Uniforms?"

"Uncle Roy?"

Roisin stood in the doorway, trailing her teddy bear.

"Good morning, Roisin. Do you like waffles?"

Roisin climbed into the one of the other kitchen chairs, her eyes wide. "With syrup?"

"I'll take that as a yes. And yes, waffles with syrup." He flipped the waffle iron. "You're school back home doesn't have a branch here in Central, so I enrolled you at the private school my goddaughter attends. Both of you will need uniforms, and I thought that if you were feeling up to it, we could go today. We could also get whatever else you needed. Could you two set the table? The plates are on the counter."

By the time they were done, everything was ready for breakfast. The only thing they were missing was Kurt.

"Should I get your brother?"

Mina shook her head. "I'll get him, Uncle Roy."

She returned a few minutes later trailing a sullen Kurt, and Roy repressed a sigh. It looked like Kurt was going to be a problem unless this was just some funk he was in.

"Is there anything you need for school, Kurt? I was able to enroll you at Central's branch of the school you attended before, so you don't need to worry about too many changes."

"No."

Well that was definite. Still, it was probably a good thing that Kurt didn't need anything. He wouldn't really know where to get most of the things a child needed for school. He only knew about the uniforms thanks to Gracia.

"I thought we could go out after breakfast. We can pick up the girls' school uniforms and get anything else you might need."

"When do we start school?" Mina asked.

"We're supposed to stop by your schools tomorrow, but you won't actually start classes for another day."

There wasn't much conversation after that. Roisin alone seemed completely at ease and continued to chatter throughout the meal. Afterwards, Mina offered to help with the dishes. Roy took the opportunity to try and find out a little about Kurt.

"Is your brother always this talkative?"

Mina's eyes were wary. "No. He's a lot like Dad. It's just…"

"Mina?"

"Promise you won't get mad at me?" Her voice was soft.

"Not going to happen," he assured her.

"Dad didn't like you very much. And we've all heard stories about you. Well, I don't think Roisin really understood them, but they weren't very nice. Mommy always said Dad knew what he was talking about but to keep an open mind." She shrugged. "You haven't been anything like we've heard, and Kurt doesn't like it when Dad is, was wrong."

Roy bit his lip. He honestly didn't know how to deal with this sort of thing. He and Adolph had never seen eye to eye, but he had never thought his half-brother would demonize him to his children. Of course, Roy had never thought he would be in charge of said children either. The real question became was Kurt simply prejudiced against him due to the stories he had heard or did he really share his father's beliefs.

"I don't know what to say, Mina. I'm not going to hurt you ever. I can't change who I am, though. I'm afraid that Kurt is going to have deal with that."

The girl just shrugged.

Roy sighed. "Why don't you go help Roisin get ready, and we'll head out to find your school supplies."

It was another half hour before they left the house. Roy led the way through the streets to the store that Gracia had recommended for uniforms. He figured they could get the necessities taken care of first that way when the children started getting cranky he could offer some sort of treat as an incentive to get things done. Of course, he hadn't realized quite what uniform shopping entailed. Thankfully, Mina had known both what sizes she wore as well as Roisin's.

By the time they were done, both Mina and Roisin had several sets of their uniforms as well as book bags and lunch boxes. With that taken care of, Roy decided he needed to spoil his nieces some. He'd spoil Kurt too if the boy would let him.

Their next stop was a toy store. While Mina had told him that most of their things were in storage, Roy figured that they could all do with something new to play with. It was true that both Kurt and Mina were a little old for a toy store, but there was also a bookstore nearby and music store a few streets over, so he was sure they could find something. Afterwards, they could go for ice cream or something like that.

Quite a bit later, a very satisfied Roy left the ice cream parlor with Roisin perched on his shoulders. Roisin had picked out a little cat stuffed animal, reminding him of Alphonse Elric. Mina had gone the more grown up route and chosen two books, a novel and a music book. Even Kurt had grudgingly picked out a history book that he said 'might be interesting'. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Look, a puppy!" Roisin's happy cry drew his attention to Hawkeye's figure across the street. "Can we go see it? Please?"

"I don't think Lieutenant Hawkeye will mind."

They crossed the street, Kurt trailing behind the group with a glower. Roy swung Roisin down from his shoulders.

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant."

"Good afternoon, sir."

Roisin tugged at Hawkeye's skirt. "Can I pet your dog, miss?"

"Of course, Roisin. His name is Black Hayate."

Wide-eyed the little girl stared at her. "You know my name?"

"We meet Miss Hawkeye yesterday," Mina told her sister. "Remember?"

"Oh!" Roisin studied Riza. "Your hair's different. It looks prettier this way."

Roy watched as Roisin petted Hayate while Riza gently drew Mina into a conversation. For a moment or two, he imagined the girls with dark hair before shaking off the daydream.

"We'd better be heading home, girls. Say goodbye to the lieutenant." He smiled at Hawkeye. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hawkeye."

"Goodbye, miss. Thank you for letting pet Black Hayate."

As they headed back to the apartment, Mina asked, "Why do you call her Lieutenant and Hawkeye? I thought you said you were friends."

Roy answered carefully. "Because we work together, there are certain rules we have to follow. We really can't treat each other like close friends except in private. The rules are there to protect people having too much power over each other at work. They just don't really take into account relationships like Hawkeye's and mine."

"Father always said the military was no place for women," Kurt spoke up.

"It's not a job for all women. That is true," Mustang replied. "But then it's not a job for all men either. The military is a hard job, and not everyone can cut it. There's no shame in that."

Kurt gave him an odd look, but other than that, he offered no other comments. The rest of the afternoon was spent pursuing their own entertainments. Kurt disappeared into his room while Mina curled up on the couch with her book. Roy spent the rest of his afternoon having a tea party with Roisin.

Mina helped him with dinner. Afterwards, Roy found himself reading _Pride and Prejudice_ to Mina and Roisin. They went off to bed after two chapters, and Roy settled into the living room with an alchemy text. It was several hours later that the sound of some one crying pulled him out of his book. It was coming from the guest room. He slipped into the room to find Mina sobbing into her pillow. He gently touched her hair.

"Mina?"

"I miss Mama. I just want her back."

He stroked her hair softly. "I know, sweetheart. I know."

It was a good twenty minutes before Mina was done crying. Roy stayed until he was sure she had fallen asleep then quietly stole out of the room. He headed for his own room. His own parents had died shortly after Ishbal. He still missed them, but at least he had them throughout his childhood. And the children had just lost their parents not two weeks ago. He would keep an eye on them. If Mina was that affected, the others probably were too.

He slipped into his own bed once again wishing Riza was here with him. More than anyone else, she understood what it was like to loose a parent. And she would make him feel better about taking care of children. He really didn't know what he was doing. At least things seemed to be going well so far. He sighed and tried to go to sleep. After all, school was the next thing on the agenda. When sleep found him, though, it brought with it memories of a young blond girl at her mother's grave.

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Theme: O-Child-Sama 


	3. School Daze

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**School Daze**

It had been years since Roy had been in a school building. In fact, he had been privately tutored for most of his education. He had gone to an actual school only until he was nine. After that, his education had been in the hands of Professor Hawkeye. Maybe that was why he was so nervous. The children didn't seem to be having the same trouble at all. But then for Kurt at least, school was something familiar. His school had a branch here in Central, and it was simply going back to his regular routine. The girls, on the other hand, would be starting at a new school. Roisin just seemed excited. Mina was calmer, but she was clearly pleased to be going back to school. Roy had enrolled them both at the same school Elysia attended.

He had taken them shopping for uniforms. He'd packed their backpacks and lunches this morning. Roy wasn't sure what else there was for him to do except make breakfast and drop them off at school. He'd barely had the three children for two days, but Roy was beginning to think that the feeling of confusion might never go away.

Roy considered his options. He could either make pancakes again or oatmeal. Oatmeal would probably be easier. Besides, it probably would be quicker to make anyway. With the oatmeal simmering on the stove, he went to check on the children's progress. He had woken all three of them about twenty minutes ago, so hopefully, they were at least dressed by now.

Kurt was fully dressed and clearly not a morning person when Roy checked on him.

"Breakfast is in five minutes."

He got a grunt in response. Accepting that as the only response he was going to get, Roy moved on to the girls' room. Mina was fully dressed, but Roisin seemed to be having some trouble with her buttons. Roy knelt by her bed and helped her sort them out. With that taken care of, his niece was all set, and they could go and eat breakfast.

It was a silent affair. Only Mina seemed really awake, and apparently she knew her siblings well enough to refrain from attempting conversation. The oatmeal was liberally doctored with cinnamon, honey, and milk, depending on the child in question, and devoured readily. Food seemed to make everyone a little more communicative. At least, he was now getting monosyllable words out of Kurt.

"I packed lunches for you all. Why don't you check your bags to make sure you have everything? Hawkeye will be here with the car shortly, and it'll be time to go."

There was a brief moment of panic when Mina couldn't find her shoes and Kurt discovered he had forgotten to pack his books, but everyone was ready to go when Hawkeye knocked on the door, something Roy considered a minor miracle. It didn't take them long to load the kids into the car. Kurt's school was the first stop given that it started the earliest.

Hawkeye waited in the car with the girls while Roy took Kurt inside to meet with the headmaster. The man had been very helpful in getting everything arranged, and Roy had been relieved that at least one thing about this would go smoothly. With Kurt turned over to Headmaster Collins, there was one less thing for him to worry about. He rejoined Hawkeye and the girls, and they were off again.

Their next stop was Isabel Cunningham School for Girls. It was the same school that Elysia attended, and Gracia has claimed it was one of the best in Central. Roy hoped they would like it. Roisin hopefully would be in Elysia's class, and if anyone would understand what Roisin was going through, it would be Elysia. It was Mina he worried about the most. She was at an age where it was hard to make friends as a newcomer. But she was a very sweet girl, and Roy hoped that someone would befriend her.

"We're here, sir."

He nodded. "Would you mind coming in with us?"

He let Hawkeye manage Roisin and her schoolbag while he led the way to the headmistress' office. A grey haired matron met them with a smile and firm handshake.

"You must be Colonel Mustang. And these are your nieces?"

"Yes, ma'am. This is Wilhelmina and Roisin."

She favored the two girls with a gentle smile. "Welcome. I hope you both will enjoy your time here. Roisin will be in Miss Isenhart's class. There should be student here shortly to take her to class. Wilhelmina will be in Ms. Stohilt's class."

There was a soft knock at the door, and a familiar green eyed blond poked her head into the office.

"Ms. Isenhart said I should come pick up my new classmate." Elysia Hughes waved at her godparents. "Hi, Uncle Roy, Auntie Riza."

Roisin blinked at her. "Uncle Roy is your uncle too?"

"Well, not really. He's just my daddy's best friend, but I get to call him Uncle Roy." Elysia beamed. "I'm Elysia. What's your name?"

"Roisin."

The two girls left the office hand in hand, Elysia excitedly chattering about the classroom and their teacher. The headmistress nodded, clearly pleased. "Well now, that just leaves us to get Wilhelmina settled. And I'll need you to finish some paper work, Colonel."

Roy nodded and took the sheaf of papers from her. He began the familiar task of affixing his signature to the paper while the headmistress led Mina from the room.

"I'll need to be back here at three-thirty to pick the girls up, Hawkeye. And Kurt gets out at about the same time. We're close enough to my apartment that the kids should be able to walk most days. I'm going to take them and pick them up this week, but after that I think they'll be fine on their own." Roy was babbling; he knew it, but he was too concerned about how things were going to work out to care.

"Sir," he had a feeling Hawkeye's voice was deliberately calm, "it will be fine."

She smiled at him, and Roy found himself relaxing. Hawkeye thought things would be fine. And as she had so often reminded him, she was seldom wrong. He would trust her judgment.

Shortly after he had finished with the paperwork, the headmistress returned.

"Wilhelmina is all settled. Do you have the paperwork I need?"

He handed it to her.

"Wonderful. I think your nieces will be very happy here, Colonel Mustang, and I hope you will find us to be up to your expectations."

They shook hands again, and he and Hawkeye headed back to the car. Roy spent the day amid the normal mess of paperwork that came with command. He kept an eye on the clock, fretting about missing the pick up time and if he packed adequate lunches for everyone. Hawkeye apparently had taken it upon herself to keep his mind off the children by providing him with enough paperwork to bury a small horse.

At three o'clock, Hawkeye finally let him pack up for the day and drove him back to the schools. Roisin came running out the front gates to meet them, Elysia only a few steps behind, with Mina following at a more sedate pace. Roisin crashed in his knees.

"Uncle Roy! I got to feed the class bunny. And there were paints and crayons, and Ms. Isenhart let me change the day on the calendar. And Elysia and I got to share a desk and--"

"You can tell me all about it at home," Roy laughed. "How was your day, Mina?"

She smiled a little. "Ms. Stohilt was very interesting. I think I will like her class."

"Good. Elysia, do you see your mom? I don't want you waiting by yourself until she comes."

"She normally waits for me by the gate, Uncle Roy."

He nodded. "Hawkeye, could you take Elysia and see if Gracia's around?"

Elysia beamed and held out her hand. "Auntie Riza, did you know that if you put bulbs in the ground you get tulips in the spring?"

He watched them for a moment before turning back to his nieces. "Why don't we get in the car, so we're ready to go pick up Kurt when Hawkeye gets back?"

Roy had the two girls buckled up in the back by the time Hawkeye returned, and they were off to pick up Kurt. The boy wasn't entirely happy, but he did actually answer Roy's in full sentences for a change even if he wouldn't stop glaring at Hawkeye. It didn't seem to bother his lieutenant though. She dropped them off at his apartment, leaving Roy once again on his own with the three children.

Somehow, he managed to entertain Roisin and make dinner at the same time. It helped that both Wilhelmina and Kurt had homework to do. Mina had elected to do hers at the kitchen table, but Kurt had disappeared into his room. He would have to check on the boy later. Still, he would say the first day of school had been a success.

"Uncle Roy, can you help me?" Mina called from the table. "I'm not sure how I supposed to figure this out."

With Roisin on one side with her coloring book and Mina on the other with her math homework, Roy couldn't help grinning. Dinner would be ready in twenty minutes, but until then, he had nothing to do except get to know his nieces a little better. Now if only he could remember how long division worked.

* * *

Theme: The Classroom


	4. Family Quirks

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Family Quirks**

He might be able to pull this off after all. He'd had his nieces and nephew for a week now, and Roy thought he was doing pretty well. He had managed to get the three children settled in his apartment as well as enrolled in school, and there had been no major disasters yet. Roy still had to find a piano teacher for Wilhelmina, and he'd yet to get more than three sentences at a time from Kurt, but it had only been a week.

It had been a crash course in parenting so far, and Roy was immensely grateful to Gracia and Hawkeye. If it hadn't been for them, he might have gone insane. Both of the women had been a source of calm and sanity while he tried to adjust to parenting. His only regret was he couldn't simply have Riza move in as well. That would definitely be a help to him. But that would have to wait until he was Fuhrur and they could have a family of their own most likely.

But it was definitely an interesting experience. He kept learning new things. Take Roisin for example. At five years old his niece already a pretty good grasp on what she wanted. She wasn't demanding exactly, but she made it clear when things weren't they way she wanted. Roisin wanted "real stories" as she put it at bedtime which was why he was now borrowing Riza's collection of novels from her childhood. They were currently halfway through _Meet the Austins_. And you never put marmalade on her toast when there was strawberry jam available. If anything, Roisin reminded him of Elysia. She had the same sunny disposition as well as the ability to wrap him around her little finger.

Wilhelmina was a bit more of a puzzle. Of course, most of his experience with girls her age had been with his sisters and Riza. If she was like any of them, she was like Riza in her silence and her timid behavior. Mina was bright. He couldn't deny that, and she especially excelled in her math classes if he was understanding her teacher's comments on her homework. Despite this, she acted almost embarrassed about her skills. He blamed his brother and made a mental note to introduce Mina to Winry Rockbell. Between Gracia, Riza, and Winry it shouldn't be too hard for Mina to discover it was perfectly fine for her to have her own opinions on things and speak her mind. Roy had also found that Mina had a weakness for singing classical music in the shower and historical novels. He hadn't had a chance to hear her practice piano yet, but if her vocal skills were any indication, Roy had a concert pianist on his hands.

Kurt was something of a mystery. Roy knew the boy had a passing interest in history and got decent grades, but that was about it. For the most part, he was silent, sullen, and disapproving. When he did talk, it was either to express disapproval or to answer direct questions with the smallest amount of information possible. As far as Roy could tell, Kurt seemed to be a little copy of his father. Adolf hadn't been a bad man, just a narrow-minded one, and Roy was unsure how to broaden his horizons without seeming to be insulting the boy's father. Apparently, Adolf had not had the best opinion of Roy either, and Kurt seemed to have taken that to heart as well. It hadn't become a problem yet, but Roy had his concerns.

The chief of these was that Kurt clearly disliked Hawkeye, and Mina seemed to have her own reservations about his chief subordinate as well. In Mina's case, he was willing to bet that it was mostly that she barely knew Riza and that she was still having some problems with the idea that of an independent, working woman outside of a school setting. It was clear that Adolf had expected his daughters to grow up to be good little wives, and Mina was struggling to find her own ideas about what she wanted from her future. Thankfully, Roisin had immediately taken to Hawkeye. If anything happened to him or he was needed for a long term mission, it would be Riza he would entrust the children to, and he couldn't afford to have problems with that. Roy wasn't expecting any problems of that sort, but given his goals, it could happen.

Still, he wasn't doing badly for a first time parent, and hopefully, the next six months would go well. Maybe it would just take time for Kurt to come to accept things. After all, they had just lost their parents, and Roy knew how hard that could be. Just look at the Elric brothers. He could only do his best and hope things worked out.

"Sir," Hawkeye's clear, calm voice cut through his mind's meanderings. "Your paperwork is not getting done."

He sighed and picked up his pen. "Yes, Lieutenant."

* * *

Theme: Quirks


	5. Little Girls

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Little Girls**

Most military personnel would have been speechless at the sight of Roy Mustang seated at an itty bitty table, ribbons in his hair, and enjoying tea with his goddaughter and his niece. Riza Hawkeye just smiled. Elysia and Roisin had the Flame Alchemist wrapped around their little fingers. It wasn't surprising that the two girls had become fast friends or that they convinced him to join their tea party. They were supposed to be home sick with the chicken pox. Gracia had offered to watch both of the girls while Mustang was at work.

And of course, Mustang had insisted he had to leave work early to check on Roisin. They had arrived at Gracia's an hour before Mina and Kurt would get out of school, and Mustang had promptly been co-opted into a playmate for the girls. Gracia and Riza had their own tea while Roy and the girls held their party.

"Auntie Riza, come have tea." Elysia insisted. "You can come sit next to Uncle Roy."

She took the proffered cup and squeezed herself in at the little table beside Roy. There was still twenty minutes before they had to go pick up the other children, and she always found it hard to refuse Elysia. Besides, her childhood had not involved much in the way of tea parties and make believe, and Riza didn't mind indulging herself once in a while. Before she knew it, Elysia had managed to unfasten her hair clip, and she and Roisin had half a dozen ribbons tucked into a pair of loose braids.

The ribbons were still there when they took their leave of the Gracia and Elysia, though Mustang had removed his own decorations. Both girls had protested when she tried to take hers out, and it wasn't like they were going back to the office. About halfway to Mina's school, Roisin had fallen asleep. Mustang reached forward to tug on one of her ribbons.

"I am driving, sir."

Mustang smirked. "But the ribbon was loose. I didn't want to fall out and get lost."

She sighed, "I bet you pulled all the girls' ribbons when you were a child."

"Only the ones I liked."

* * *

Theme: Hair Ribbons


	6. Goodnight My Angel

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Goodnight My Angel**

Roy held his breath. He didn't want to wake them. His lieutenant was asleep on the couch with his niece and a picture book in her lap and Hayate curled up at her feet. Roisin was curled up with her head resting on Riza's shoulder. They almost looked like mother and daughter, and the sun was hitting them just perfectly to give the pair halos.

Hawkeye had offered to watch Roisin for him given that the girl was still sick and Gracia had an appointment. Mina and Kurt were still in school, and he had a meeting with the brass he couldn't afford to miss. Hawkeye had arrived just as Kurt and Mina were heading off to school. She'd shooed him off to work, claiming that she was perfectly capable of handling one sick, little girl.

He had returned home after the meeting to find his apartment cleaner than he'd left it and the touching scene on his couch. Roy didn't want to wake Riza, but Kurt and Mina would be home soon, and he should probably be getting ready for them. With a sigh, he leaned over and gently shook her shoulder.

"Hawkeye, Riza, wake up."

A pair of sleepy amber eyes peered up at him. "Sir?"

His first instinct was to close the distance between them and kiss her. Instead he just smiled.

"Good afternoon, Hawkeye. Would like to stay for dinner?"

Roisin shifted sleepily in her arms. Hawkeye glanced down to make sure the girl was still asleep.

"Are you sure, sir?"

"Of course. It would be nice to have an evening with some adult conversation for a change." He held out his arms. "I'll tuck Roisin back into bed."

When he returned, Roy found her in the kitchen, putting together afternoon snacks for Mina and Kurt. And he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to have her there all the time. In his mind, he could see the scene on the couch, only the girl in Riza's arms had dark hair and amber eyes.

"Uncle Roy, we're home." Mina's voice echoed from the living room.

The rest of the afternoon was spent giving homework assistance and making dinner. Kurt had disappeared into his room almost immediately after claiming his snack, but Mina set up camp at the kitchen table, spreading out her books and assignments. Riza sat across from her offering advice and assistance when needed.

Dinner was a simple meal of chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Afterwards, Hawkeye helped him wash up and then collected Hayate and made her farewells.

"I'll see you tomorrow, sir. Remember you have a meeting at eleven."

He nodded. "Goodnight, Hawkeye."

She disappeared into the night, leaving him with children to put to bed. Roy sighed and promised himself that someday it would be their daughters he was putting bed.

* * *

Theme: Asleep on the Couch


	7. Minor Emergancies

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Minor Emergencies**

"Mina," Roy knocked on the bathroom door. "We need to be leaving if you want to make the noon matinee."

"Go without me. I'm not coming out."

Roy frowned. His niece's voice sounded terrified. "Is everything all right?"

"Just go away!"

That left him with two options. He could break down the door or he could get help. Roy hadn't grown up in a household with three sisters for nothing. He called Hawkeye.

"I hate to bother you on your day off, but I couldn't think of who else to call. I haven't any clue what's wrong."

"How old is Mina?" Hawkeye's voice on the other end of the line was soothing.

"Eleven." What did that have to do with anything?

There was a pause. "I'll be there in twenty minutes, sir."

Hawkeye arrived with a grocery bag in her arms. She gave him a comforting smile and headed straight for the bathroom.

Gently rapping on the door, she called. "Wilhelmina? It's Lieutenant Hawkeye. May I come in?"

The door opened a sliver. Mina peaked out. Riza just smiled. The door opened a little wider, and Riza slipped inside. Roy nervously waited outside. Kurt was spending the day on a school fieldtrip, and Roisin had a play date with Elysia, so it was just Mina and himself. They had been planning on going to the new romantic comedy that had come out, but that plan seemed to have fallen through.

After five minutes, he gave up pacing up and down the hallway in front of the bathroom and moved on to something more productive: cleaning. He was up to his elbows in soap suds and dishes when Hawkeye reappeared.

"Would you mind running to the store, sir? Mina could use a few things. And do you have any bleach?"

He blinked. "The bleach is under the sink. What does she need from the store?"

His lieutenant produced a list.

Roy scanned it then blinked again. "Oh. Um, do you want any particular type of ice cream?"

"Whatever she likes."

"Will an hour be long enough?"

She nodded. "That should be fine."

"Thank you so much, Hawkeye. I promise I'll do all my paperwork on Monday."

Anything was better than having to explain to his niece about her period.

* * *

Riza smiled as her colonel made himself scarce. She didn't blame him. They had gone through this once before when she had been twelve. She set the kettle on the stove. A cup of tea would be good for everyone.

"He's gone, Mina. It's safe to come out."

The girl peeked out of the bathroom before dashing into her own room. She emerged a few minutes later, clearly embarrassed.

"What should I do with the, um, dirty clothes?" She blushed a bright red. "I can't just leave them in the sink."

"Just let them soak a little longer. Come and have some tea. When we're done, I'll show you how to treat the stains on your underwear."

The girl dropped into a chair, resting her head on her arms sighing. Riza simply went about making the tea. She set a cup in front of Mina with a gentle smile.

"It's not that bad. It happens to everyone. When my period started, the only people I had to ask about it were my father, an Alchemist and academic, and your uncle." Riza took a seat across from Mina. "At least, your uncle grew up with three sisters in the house. I don't know if it was more embarrassing for me or for him."

That got her attention. "Really? But couldn't you have asked your teacher or some one like that?"

Riza laughed. "We lived three miles outside of town. I wasn't about to walk down there. Besides, I didn't like or trust my teacher at school."

"So you asked Uncle Roy?"

"Yes." Riza smiled again; it looked like Mina had gotten over some of her embarrassment. "Come on, I'll show you how to deal with the stains."

The once blood covered underwear were treated and safely in the wash when the door slammed.

"Mina, Hawkeye, I'm back." Mustang set two bags on the kitchen table. "I got both mint chocolate chip and espresso bean. There's also a couple of chocolate bars as well. Oh, and I stopped by the bookstore on my way. You wanted _Northanger Abbey_, _Mansfield Park,_ and _Sorcery and Cecelia_, right?"

Mina just blinked at him. Riza bit back a grin. Living with three older sisters had taught him well. She began cleaning up the tea things. Most likely, the two could manage on their own from now on. Mina should have everything she needed for the rest of the week as well as both Gracia's phone number as well as her own in case something else came up.

"I'll see you on Monday, sir."

"You're not staying?" Mina sounded concerned.

"You'll be fine," Riza assured.

She collected her things, heading for the door. Mustang followed her.

"I can't thank you enough for taking care of this for me. I'm not sure I could've managed to explain things without mentally scarring us both. Explaining puberty to Fullmetal was bad enough."

"You managed just fine with me."

"You threatened to shoot me if I didn't explain what as going on. I was afraid for my life." He kissed her cheek. "Anyway, thank you. Here. I know it's your favorite."

Riza took the offering of espresso ice cream and smiled. "I'll see you at the office. Mina has my phone number if she needs anything else."

He nodded, and she slipped out the door. There was still laundry to do back at her apartment as well as the shopping for the week to do, and then maybe she would curl up with a bowl of ice cream and a good book. She figured she had earned it. She might deal with a panicky colonel on a regular basis, but panicky pre-adolescents were in a class of there own.

* * *

Theme: Covered in Blood


	8. Stuck in the Middle

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Stuck in the Middle**

Mina was in a quandary. She loved her parents, and she wanted to honor their memory, but she had also come to love her Uncle Roy, and she honestly thought that he was right about a number of things, including his attitudes about women. She had no problem leaving behind some of her father's ideas. Her brother was another story.

Kurt did not. Her brother could not see anything but good in their father, and he absolutely loathed Uncle Roy. And he was beginning to insinuate some very nasty things about Mina not loving their parents since she was just throwing away their ideals. Mina was not close to her brother, but his words hurt. And they made her doubt her own judgment.

Uncle Roy had been nothing but kind to her and Roisin. Mina had been terrified at being sent to live with him at first. They had known nothing about their uncle except that he was in the military and their father didn't approve of him at all. She had assumed that he would be simply a copy of her father: often angry and scary. Uncle Roy had turned out to be a pleasant surprise. He had been kind and sympathetic, never scolding her for not knowing what to do or the proper response. Roisin adored him.

Then there was Miss Hawkeye. If Kurt loathed their uncle, he absolutely hated the man's assistant. At least, that's what Mina thought Miss Hawkeye was. She had never seen Uncle Roy and Miss Hawkeye actually at work together, so she didn't exactly know. His office was one of the few places Uncle Roy had never taken her. Whatever their relationship was, Miss Hawkeye had been wonderful. Mina had never been so embarrassed as when her period started, but the woman had been calm and kind and had taken care of everything. She wasn't like Mina's mother at all really, but Miss Hawkeye had been everything Mina had needed lately.

So she was torn. These people had taken the three of them in and been kind and understanding, but they did not support the things her parents and her brother believed in. And now her uncle had to leave them under the care of Miss Hawkeye for a few days, and Kurt felt that this was a good opportunity to teach the woman a lesson. Mina wasn't sure what type of lesson he had in mind, but she doubted it would be pleasant. And she didn't know whether she should tell Uncle Roy or not.

She didn't want anyone to get hurt, but she didn't want to betray her family either. Kurt had a nasty streak that she didn't like at all, but he was her brother. Was it wrong it get him in trouble? He and Roisin were all she really had. There was Uncle Roy, her aunts, and her cousins, but it wasn't quite the same. At the same time, Kurt scared her. He didn't seem to care who got hurt as long as he was proved right. He told her what to do all the time, and he always expected to be first in all things. He was not really a nice person, and Miss Hawkeye was.

No matter what she did, Mina knew she was going to get in trouble with someone. Kurt would be upset if she turned him in, and Uncle Roy would be upset if something happened to Miss Hawkeye. She didn't know what to do. Drawing her knees up to her chest, Mina considered her options. She could tell her uncle. She could not tell her uncle but warn Miss Hawkeye when she came. She could tell them both. She could not tell anyone. She could write her uncle an anonymous note.

Mina sighed. She had to come to some sort of a decision. This wasn't going to go away if she ignored it, no matter how much she wanted it to. She heard the front door close and the sound of laughter. Uncle Roy and Roisin were back from their trip to the store. She could hear them in the kitchen. Roisin was giggling hard, probably at something Uncle Roy had done. Her little sister sounded so happy. Roisin had rarely sounded like that at home, only when it had been just the two sisters and their mother.

Her hands clenched into fists. Kurt was wrong, and it wasn't fair that someone else had to suffer for that. She slipped out of her room and into the kitchen to fin Uncle Roy and her sister putting away groceries.

"Uncle Roy, could I talk to you for a minute?"

* * *

Theme: In the Middle


	9. Homecoming

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Homecoming**

Roy let out a sigh as he reached his front door. It was good to be home. It had only been a week, but it had been too long in his mind. Of course, it didn't help that instead of Hawkeye at his side as usual, it had been Havoc acting as his bodyguard. Roy had nothing against Havoc, he was a good man and a good shot, but he wasn't Riza. Unfortunately, he'd needed Hawkeye to stay with the children, so she hadn't been available.

He carefully unlocked the door, trying not to make much noise. The children should be asleep by now, and he didn't want to disturb them. There was a light on inside, but that was probably Riza. He slid the door open only to be greeted by an energetic Hayate. Roy shooed the dog back inside and was greeted by his lieutenant, in civilian clothes and with her hair down. And Roy couldn't help himself.

He dropped his bag, sweeping her into his arms for a tight hug before kissing her. Riza let him for a moment before gently pushing him away.

"Welcome home." She smiled. "I just made tea if you'd like some."

"How were things?" He hung up his coat. "Were there any problems?"

"Nothing that I couldn't handle with prior warning." She frowned, heading back into the kitchen. "Kurt is going to be a problem. We thwarted him this time around, but I think he's going to keep acting out like this. The problem is I don't think either one of us is the right person to deal with him. There's just too much against us. I'm a woman, and he's completely bought into his father's view on both women and you."

Roy sighed, following her into the kitchen. "I'll take that cup of tea. I know you're right, but that doesn't really solve the problem. I don't want to hand him over to Evie with this still being an issue."

Riza set two mugs of tea on the counter, handing Roy the cream and sugar. "You may not have a choice, but I agree that the sooner this is dealt with the better."

He sighed again and slumped down into a chair at the kitchen table. Riza came and sat beside him, stirring her tea. Roy enjoyed the simple silence a moment. It wasn't often he had moments like these with Riza. She covered his hand with her own.

"You can't do everything, Roy. Especially when it comes to family." She squeezed his hand.

She would know that better than most people. Roy squeezed her hand back, and they sat there together with fingers entwined. A noise on the street outside made Riza sigh and try to slip her fingers out of his own. Roy just tightened his grip on her.

"Stay. It's too late to be walking home by yourself." He smiled ruefully. "I know you can take care of yourself, but would you humor me tonight?"

There was hesitation in her eyes. It really wasn't that wise of a request given his ambitions, and they had always been so careful in the past, but right now, Roy needed her here with him. Riza must have read some of that in his eyes as she sighed.

"All right, but I need to leave first thing in the morning."

They finished the tea in silence. Roy rinsed out the mugs, and they headed to bed. With Riza curled up at his side and Hayate at their feet, Roy found sleep easily. He knew he wouldn't be able to enjoy this sort of domesticity on a regular basis until he was Fuhrur, but he was going to enjoy this moment while he had it. He would just consider it practice for the future.

* * *

Theme: Coat


	10. Hectic Days

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Hectic Days**

They did not need this. Riza refrained from running her hand through her hair like the colonel, but she certainly understood the feeling. The day had been absolutely insane so far, and it was just getting worse. Quarterly inspections also snuck up on them, and there was never enough time to get ready for them. She was currently running down to the schools to pick up the children. There was no way that Mustang would be done before dinner, and unfortunately, Gracia was out of town visiting relatives. They had no other choice than to bring the three children to the office. It was a distraction none of them needed, but they didn't have any other options.

It took half an hour for her to collect Mina, Roisin, and Kurt. The girls were quite reasonable about the change in plans, but Kurt had been recalcitrant. Still, Riza had managed to get all three of them back to Central Headquarters without any major tantrums. Both Mina and Roisin were looking around wide-eyed, and Roisin was clutching at Riza's hand. Kurt was just skulking behind them as she led the way to offices of Mustang's unit. The guys had been warned that the children were coming, so they were supposed to be behaving.

She escorted them into Mustang's office and left him to make the explanations. Riza needed to make sure the boys had been working while she was gone. For once, she found the paperwork complete and the four men hard at work. With the assurance that things were not going to fall apart once she left the room, Riza returned to the colonel's office to make sure that things were under control there as well. She found things mostly calm. Mina had set up on the couch doing her homework, and Roisin seemed well entertained by Black Hayate. Kurt appeared to be sulking, but Edward did that enough that it wasn't anything new for this office.

Mustang gave her a half smile and motioned her over to his desk. "How are we doing, Hawkeye?"

"The paperwork is on track as long as you continue to work on it as well." Riza gave him a stern look. "Your meeting is scheduled to begin at six while Edward should be in a five-thirty to report. I'll run out and take care of dinner about then as well."

He sighed. "What time will the meeting end?"

"Eight o'clock, sir. That is if it ends on time."

Mustang sighed again. "All right. Let me know when Fullmetal gets here."

Riza nodded before heading back to her desk. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Theme: The flow of time is too fast.


	11. What You Have

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**What You Have**

Edward Elric would admit privately that Mustang was a decent person. He hated the fact that he and Al were beholden to the man, but he knew that Mustang had protected them both. The man had also gone to some lengths to make sure that Granny and Winry were taken care of and safe. Ed as grateful, but he doubted he would ever tell the man that. And he couldn't help but respect the fact that the man had taken in his nieces and nephews. Granny had stepped in to take care of himself and Al when no one else would, and while it hadn't quite worked out for them, he had been grateful for a place to call home and people to care about him and Al.

That was probably why he wasn't giving the colonel as hard a time as he could be. When he and Al had arrived today, they had found Mustang's office inhabited by the three Mustang children. Well, two of the three. The littlest one seemed to be happily following Lieutenant Hawkeye around the office. It was rather adorable. Ed had always thought that the lieutenant would make a good mother. Mustang looked up from his desk.

"Fullmetal, good. Your report?"

Ed blinked. That had almost been polite. Either Mustang was on something or he was really out of it. Ed shrugged. "It's not exactly done yet."

Mustang just sighed. "Feel free to join the homework table then. Edward, this is my nephew, Kurt, and my niece, Mina. Roisin is the one following Hawkeye. Mina, Kurt, this is Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, and his brother, Alphonse."

He found himself sharing a table with the older two children. Mina gave him a hesitant smile. Kurt didn't even bother to look up. With a sigh, Ed pulled out the half finished report and got back to work. When he looked up a while later, he found Hawkeye consulting with Mustang, Roisin perched on her hip and apparently asleep. They looked like mother, father, and daughter. Ed blinked, and for just a moment he could almost see the trio in civilian clothes at home in Mustang's study. He chalked it to Major Hughes' influence when the thought that they would be adorable crossed his mind.

And then it was gone as Hawkeye moved away from the desk. She headed his direction, stopping to set Roisin on the couch next to her sister.

"I am going to go get some dinner for everyone, Edward. Shall I bring you something as well?"

He nodded. "Yes, please."

Hawkeye's attention turned to the children. "Is there anything in particular you want for dinner? There will be no junk food."

She took their orders calmly despite the fact that Kurt was downright rude in his brusque answers. Ed frowned. Then he noticed that Mustang was frowning too. Mina quietly asked to go with the lieutenant, and the woman nodded with a smile. Hawkeye exchanged a look with Mustang before heading out. Ed watched as Mustang seemed to struggle with himself before speaking.

"I realize that you don't think much of me, Kurt, but you can treat Lt. Hawkeye with at least a modicum of respect. She deserves at least that."

Kurt snorted. "What for? Neither of you have done anything worth anything. If it were up to me, we'd be long gone. My sisters and I would be better off without you."

Ed could tell by the look on Mustang's face that the man didn't know what to say or how to deal with this. That was all right. He would take care of this, for Lieutenant Hawkeye's sake, and the kid was more likely to listen to him anyway. He grabbed Kurt's arm.

"Excuse us for a moment, Mustang." It wasn't a request.

He dragged Kurt out into the hall with him. The kid seemed too stunned by his actions to protest. Good. That would make things much easier.

"So, you're an idiot, but that's not surprising. You're, what, thirteen? Just about everyone's an idiot then. Trust me. I speak from experience."

The kid glowered at him. Ed just continued. "And before you tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. My mom died when I was ten. Al was nine. Our father had been gone for years at that point. So I know what it's like to lose a parent. Al and I don't have any other relatives. We were lucky that someone decided to take us in."

"What? So you want me to be grateful that man because he provides for us? Big deal."

Ed crossed his arms. "It's better than starving on the streets. You could have ended up there. And you've been lucky in your relatives. You could have ended up as little better than servants or worse. Instead, you've had just about every thing you've wanted or needed provided to you. You might not like Mustang. I don't. But even I will admit that he's done a lot for you and your sisters, and Lieutenant Hawkeye deserves your respect. She has absolutely no reason to spend her free time helping Mustang out with you three, but she has, and she has never complained despite your shabby treatment of her. The woman puts up with more than you will ever know."

The kid looked rather stunned. Ed just turned around and headed back into the office. He didn't know if Kurt would listen to him, but at least he had heard it from someone. Ed knew how important it was to pay attention to what you had. He made a mental note to call Winry again soon.

* * *

Theme: You have so much to be thankful for.


	12. Time of Farewells

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Time of Farewells**

Roy sighed as he dragged the last of the children's trunks into the living room. His sister, Evie, and her husband would be here soon to pick up Mina, Roisin, and Kurt. It was hard for him to believe that he'd already had the children for six months. And now it was time for them to move in with his sister. Logically, Roy knew it was the best choice for all of them. Given the nature of his plans, the children could easily become targets.

Still, he had gotten used to having the three of them around. It was going to strange without them. Roy had just really gotten used to having then here. Roisin and Mina had been a real delight. They made him want daughters, but that would have to wait. Kurt he wouldn't miss as much, but it seemed like the boy might finally be coming to like him. It was all moot now. Nothing was going to change the fact that they were leaving tonight.

"Stop brooding, sir." Hawkeye's clear voice cut though his thoughts.

He turned to look at her. She had offered to come over earlier and help the children pack. The fact that Roy had trouble getting things to fit into his own suitcase had been only part of why he accepted the offer. She looked quite fetching in her civilian attire. He had seen the jacket and skirt outfit a number of times now, but it always surprised him to see her out of uniform. With her help, the packing had managed to get done in a timely manner, and she had been keeping Mina and Roisin occupied for the past hour or so by making cookies with them. Kurt had simply curled up on the couch with a book, but even he hadn't been able to resist the lure of cookies fresh from the oven.

Letting out a sigh, Roy left the pile of luggage and collapsed on the couch. Somehow, the three children had acquired a lot more stuff in the last six months. Roisin soon climbed into his lap with a happy sigh, and Roy smiled. He would probably miss her the most, though Mina reminded him a great deal of Hawkeye. Roisin reminded him very much Elysia. Both of the little girls had a special spot in his heart.

"Uncle Roy, do we have to leave?"

He gently stroked the girl's blond hair. "Yes, Roisin. You do have to leave. You're going to live with your Aunt Evie from now on."

"Why?"

Roy smiled at her. "In part because my job is unpredictable, and I often have to work late and on weekends. Part of it is also the fact that your Aunt Evie is married and has someone to help her out."

"But you have Miss Riza."

He wished that was really true. "Riza doesn't actually live with me though, and she can't always help out. Besides, you're going to enjoy living with your aunt, and we'll still see each other often enough."

That seemed to satisfy the little girl, and Roisin seemed content enough to just sit in his lap. Kurt was still engrossed in his book, and Roy could hear Hawkeye and Mina in the kitchen. It was really quite nice even if he did know it wasn't going to last. Roy would miss having the children around on a constant basis. He would have to make sure that he visited them when he could. But truthfully, the three children gave him yet another reason to see his plans through. He didn't want them to face a future where they would have to go through the same sort of horrors that he and Hawkeye had. He sighed a third time when the buzzer rang. It was time to say goodbye.

* * *

Theme: Time


	13. Welcome Reminders

Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

**Welcome Reminders**

Roisin Mustang wrapped her shawl more firmly around herself and ducked into the nearest open building. It had just started pouring, and there was no she was walking home in that. She would wait out the rain in here. Looking around, she realized that she had walked right into a bar. It was fairly empty though. The thirteen year old girl draped her wet shawl over the back of a chair. There was a group of people over in the far corner of the bar, and she swore they looked rather familiar. Roisin sneezed. She'd figure them out later. Right now she needed a cup of tea.

The barkeep was more than willing to provide her with that, and Roisin sat down with her cup, turned so she could watch the others in the room. She had been on her way home from some last minute shopping for her sister's birthday. Aunt Evie had decided that twelve was old enough to go out shopping on her own, and besides, these days there wasn't much to worry about. Mina was going to be turning eighteen, and Roisin knew exactly what she had wanted to get her sister. The tricky part had been finding the things.

The group burst into laughter. Roisin bit her lip. She had to know them. Unfortunately, she could only see a few of their faces, a silver haired man and one with black hair and glasses. Where did she know these men from? They weren't relatives. Roisin's only male relatives were her aunts' husbands and her Uncle Roy. Though she hadn't seen Uncle Roy in quite a few years. When all the craziness with the military and the government had started, her uncle had distanced himself from the family. Aunt Evie had said it was to protect them, but some of the family members weren't so nice about it, especially her brother Kurt. Roisin still got cards and gifts from her uncle, but she hadn't actually seen him since she was six or seven.

It was a shame in her opinion. She liked Uncle Roy. Still, Roisin would admit that given all the crazy things that had been going on at the time (she didn't really remember them, but they talked about them in history class at school), it probably had been a good idea. However, now there was no reason for him to keep his distance. While he might not exactly be a national hero, he was a person of importance, and most people liked him. So Roisin couldn't see why he was hiding from his family.

She wondered what this group was celebrating, because it was clear that was what they were doing. Everyone seemed pretty happy. A girl about her own age got up from the table and headed over to the bar. Roisin felt her jaw drop as she made the connection. That was Elysia. They had been best friends since kindergarten. Of course, Elysia had been in and out of school at times during that. Given who her father had been, Roisin wasn't surprised. The daughter of Brigadier General Hughes would have been a target in the early days of the new government.

Elysia seemed to be ordering something for their table. She caught sight of Roisin as she turned and tossed her a bright smile. She came over to the table Roisin had taken for herself.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Roisin shrugged. "I got caught by the rain. I didn't want to finish walking home until it stopped. What about you?"

Elysia laughed. "Everybody's actually in town, so we thought we'd all get together, and when we heard Uncle Roy's news, we had turn it into a party."

"News?"

Her friend beamed. "Aunt Riza's finally pregnant. She's due sometime late this winter. Why don't you come on over? I'm sure they won't mind. I know Uncle Roy was talking about visiting his family while he was in town."

Roisin allowed herself to be pulled over to the table. Now that she knew who the people were, she had an easier time recognizing them. And it was easy to recognize Uncle Roy and Miss Hawkeye when she saw something other than the backs of their heads. Of course, it was probably Mrs. Mustang now. They both looked so happy together. Elysia pulled up an extra chair, and Roisin sank into it, joining in the laughter as a story wound to an end. She was mildly surprised by the welcome she received from people she only knew briefly several years ago, but it was good to be among old friends, and Roisin was more than happy to be reminded of that.

* * *

Theme: From Yesterday


End file.
